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Cynthia Lennon, first wife of Beatle John Lennon, dies

The family of Cynthia Lennon, 75, announced her death of cancer. Her only child, Julian Lennon, created a video tribute to her.

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John Lennon's first wife Cynthia Lennon has passed away at the age of 75 after a short but brave battle with cancer. Cynthia met the late Beatles front man in 1960 and was married to him for 6 years before divorcing. They had one son together, Julian(Celeb TV)

By Canadian Press

Wed., April 1, 2015

Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of Beatle John Lennon, has died, their son Julian said Wednesday.

Cynthia Lennon was 75.

On a Cynthia Lennon Memorial website, the family said she “passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain, following a short but brave battle with cancer.” Julian, who posted the website on his Twitter account, was with his mother when she died.

She married three times after her 1969 divorce from Lennon following six years of marriage. Julian was her only child.

Julian Lennon posted a moving video tribute to his late mother with a song he had written in her honour.

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“You gave your life for me, you gave your life for love,” it begins, showing footage of him as a young boy with his parents. It also shows footage of Cynthia with John during the early days of Beatlemania.

Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of John Lennon, sits behind copies of her newly released book entitled 'John' during a book signing at Foyle's bookshop in central London in 2005 (JANE MINGAY / AP)

The two wives and two sons of John Lennon get together in 1989 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City to celebrate Julian's concert at the Beacon Theater. From left are, Yoko Ono, Lennon's second wife and widow; Julian Lennon; Sean Lennon, son with Ono; and Cynthia Lennon, first wife and mother of Julian. (JOHN BELLISSIMMO / AP)

“The love you left behind will carry on,” Julian sings in a style influenced by his late father.

It concludes with the words: “I know you’re safe above.”

Cynthia and John Lennon met at art school in Liverpool and married shortly before the Beatles shot to fame.

The couple divorced in 1968 after John Lennon started his much publicized relationship with Japanese artist Yoko Ono.

The divorce prompted Paul McCartney to pen the Beatles’ classic “Hey Jude” to help Julian cope with his parents’ separation. He changed the name Julian to Jude in the song.

The line “Take a sad song and make it better,” is about the Lennons’ broken marriage and its impact on their son.

Author Hunter Davies, who wrote the only authorized Beatles biography in 1968, described Cynthia as a “lovely woman” who was ill-treated by her famous husband.

He said she wasn’t at all like her husband, but was “quiet and reserved and calm” and “not a hippy at all.”

He said their friends at art school never thought the relationship would last because they were so different.

In her autobiography, Cynthia described being mistreated by John at times. But in a 2005 interview with Good Morning America she recalled his charisma as well.

“You couldn’t resist being around him,” she said. “You couldn’t resist watching what he was up to. I mean, he was a total rebel. Everybody was amazed by him.”

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